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Sales Report: Blu-ray the Majority Format for 3 of the Top 5 Movies Last Week

Fri Feb 10, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray Sales Figures (all tags)

57 percent of the sales of ‘Drive’ were Blu-ray, while ‘In Time’ and ‘The Thing’ boasted similar numbers.

Blu-ray sales tend to make up between 20 percent and 30 percent of total disc retail sales, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. On an individual basis, Blu-ray is bringing in some big numbers.

Last week, Blu-ray sales accounted for 57 percent of ‘Drive’ sales, the number one selling title. They did similar numbers for other flicks in the top five like ‘In Time’ (54 percent) , ‘Real Steel ‘(42 percent) and ‘The Thing’ (55 percent). Action movies clearly do well on the high definition format.

The one title in the top five sold that didn’t bring in much in the way of Blu-ray sales was ‘Treasure Buddies.’ It totaled at 18 percent Blu-ray sales. It’s not a big share, but considering the movie, that’s not too much of a surprise.

Source: Home Media Magazine

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Blu-ray Encryption Cracked Using $350 in Hardware

Tue Dec 06, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Blu-ray, HDCP (all tags)

The weak point in HDCP was much simpler to exploit than previously imagined.

One of the unwritten rules of copy protection and digital rights management is that if it exists, it can be defeated. Blu-ray copy protection however, has been one of the harder ones to crack. Even though the HDCP master key was leaked in 2010, hardware was an issue.

When that key was leaked, Intel said that it was just one component and that anyone wishing to break the encryption using the key would have to manufacture their own microchips to make it work. Researchers at Ruhr University proved Intel wrong.

They accomplished this task using a $350 hardware setup that goes in between two HDMI cables and alters the signal being sent undetected. "The fact that we were able to achieve this in the context of a PhD thesis and using materials costing just €200 is not a ringing endorsement of the security of the current HDCP system," says Dr. Ing Tim Güneysu, the project lead.

Source: Tom's Hardware

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Entertainment Spending Up Five Percent - Blu-ray Sales Soar

Tue Nov 01, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Blu-ray, Industry Trends, Sales Figures, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

DVD spending is down significantly, but Blu-ray helped pick up the industry as a whole - if that's not great news for the format, we don't know what is.

The Digital Entertainment Group's latest survey indicates that high definition packaged media is on the rise in a big way. And yes, when they say "high definition packaged media" they clearly mean Blu-ray. Unless there are still HD DVDs floating around out there, but we're just going to go ahead and make the assumption.

Blu-ray disc sales rose by 58 percent this year, with a 60 percent increase in catalog titles like 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Big Lebowski' and, of course, 'Star Wars.' That's great news, but giant sales numbers for titles like this doesn't necessarily mean that the format as a whole is on the rise. We need something more solid, and we got it.

Blu-ray player sales increased by 52 percent over last year. Certainly there are some upgrades in there, but the majority of that seems to be first-time Blu-ray owners, marking a huge shift in mainstream consumer adoption. The DEG puts the number of Blu-ray enabled homes at a whopping 33.5 million.

So how much did Blu-ray help the overall increase in entertainment spending? A lot. Blu-ray was up 58 percent, electronic sellthrough was up 13 percent and VOD increased by five percent. DVD sales are

way down again, rental revenue is down again and brick and mortar stores are hurting. Only one format is truly thriving, and that's Blu-ray.

Source: Home Media Magazine

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Disney Will Make All The Blu-ray Money It Can!

Fri Sep 23, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Disney, Blu-ray, Industry Trends (all tags)

The company sees a move to a digital marketplace as inevitable, according to the company's CFO.

There's a lot of nay saying when it comes to retail sales of media. CDs are disappearing from stores and PC games are all but gone thanks to digital distribution. The unsure footing of retail isn't going to stop Disney from continuing to rock out Blu-rays while there's a market.

Jay Rasulo, the CFO of Disney, says that the company is going to keep pushing out Blu-rays along with DVD and digital copies of the movie. Disney has one of the best conversion rates in the industry - that's the ratio of physical copies sold compared to box office performance - so they're not about to leave all that money behind.

Rasulo says that there's no question that the retail media market is disappearing, but says that there's no telling yet just how fast. "We are maximizing Blu-ray for whatever it is," he says, "But clearly, over time, this is a market that is moving over to digital."

Source: Home Media Magazine

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Data Points to a Strong Year for Blu-ray

Tue May 03, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Blu-ray Players, Blu-ray, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Things are looking good for Blu-ray this year, with both hardware and disc sales expected to rise.

If you've been to a Best Buy recently, you've probably noticed that Blu-ray has all but taken over for DVD in electronics stores across the country. Stores with a broader appeal - like Walmart or Target - still carry quite a few DVDs, but Blu-ray is on the rise again this year according to analysts.

The folks at IHS Screen Digest expect a 93 percent increase of Blu-ray hardware in households this year and FutureSource says that by the end of 2011 there will be nearly 50 million Blu-ray playback devices in homes across the country. Doubling the hardware would, of course, result in increased software sales.

FutureSource has a prediction there too, stating that software sales are projected to reach 120 million units, up from 85 million last year. Streaming and VOD services may be up, but Blu-ray and DVD sales still make up for 80 percent of the average entertainment budget.

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Harry Potter: The Quest - Play Games to Unlock Content Leading to Blu-ray Release

Wed Mar 09, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Harry Potter, Blu-ray (all tags)

As the community earns points, more features and videos are unlocked, culminating in the April 15th release of the Blu-ray.

If you're a fan of the 'Harry Potter' series, you'll want to check out 'Harry Potter: The Quest.' It's a website created by the folks over at Warner Brothers to add some fun to the experience of watching new videos and checking out new content.

Participation is simple - all you have to do is play games. As you play, you and everyone else in the community gains points that go towards unlocking a new reward. It's a group effort, and everyone gets the new piece of content at once.

If you play, you also stand a chance at winning prizes that range from DVDs and games to tickets to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando resort. You could even win a trip for two to the world premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2' in London this July.

Source: Harry Potter: The Quest

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Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (3-Disc Combo Pack) (Blu-ray)

DVD Isn't Dead, Says Disney CEO

Wed Mar 09, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Disney, DVD, Blu-ray, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

People are still buying discs, he says, but "they’re just not buying as many of them."

Disney CEO Bob Iger appeared on the 'Charlie Rose Show' on March 3rd to talk some business. We didn't watch it, but thankfully the folks at Home Media Magazine did.

Iger had plenty to say on the subject of DVDs. It seems, from the out of context quotes, that when he says DVD he means all physical media including Blu-ray. Iger says that people aren't buying as many discs, but contends that "the primary reason, I would argue, is that they have other things to do."

The CEO says that limiting content is going in the wrong direction. Just because something isn't available streaming, for instance, doesn't mean that people will go out and buy the Blu-ray or watch it on TV. "What we must do is make the product available to them under flexible or expanded circumstances."

Source:

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Premium VODs May Come With DVD/Blu-ray

Tue Feb 15, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: VOD, Blu-ray, Premium VOD, Industry Trends (all tags)

Studios seem to be sticking with the idea of premium on-demand content, but they're hoping to sweeten the deal.

There's no question that a market exists for premium on-demand content. Paying $30 to see a movie that's still in the theaters - or just out of them - is a fair price point to some. For the majority of potential customers though, it's still just too high.

Steve Beeks of Lionsgate revealed an interesting idea to make premium VOD more appealing to customers on a conference call over the weekend. Instead of shelling out $30 for a one-night rental, you would also get a copy of the movie when it came out as well - either in digital or DVD form.

"Some of the cable operators have brought that up as a potential idea," says Beeks. "I don’t think we have settled on anything - we are actually anxious to see how the market develops."

The idea of premium VODs that include a copy of the film seem incredibly appealing, especially if a Blu-ray option was offered. $30-$40 for an early on-demand rental plus a copy of the Blu-ray when it comes out could be an offer too good to refuse.

Source: Home Media Magainze

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Anchor Bay President Bill Clark Talks 3D, Streaming, and Blu-ray

Tue Feb 15, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Anchor Bay, Blu-ray, 3D, Industry Trends (all tags)

Though he's very excited about the future of Blu-ray, he's taking a wait-and-see approach to 3D content.

The folks over at Home Media Magazine have a great mini-interview up in which they ask questions of Bill Clark, the president of Anchor Bay Entertainment. Many of his answers veer towards the expected, but he does reveal some interesting things about the strategy of the company moving forward.

When asked about his opinion on the Blu-ray format, Clark answers that he doesn't see it slowing down any time soon. "The format is clearly well down the path of mass adoption," he says. Clark also has some interesting thoughts on waiting to go with Blu-ray 3D.

"We’ll certainly utilize the format where it makes sense. Obviously, we will not be the first to market on BD 3D," says Clark, "but we will evaluate on a title-by-title basis and, where it makes sense, will release in this format."

Source: Home Media Magazine

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Blu-ray Director’s Panel – CES 2011

Sun Jan 09, 2011 at 03:04 AM ET
Tags: CES 2011, Panasonic, Blu-ray, Michael Mann, Baz Luhrmann, Oliver Stone (all tags)

Baz Luhrmann, Michael Mann and Oliver Stone sit down to talk about how they see the Blu-ray format and how the adaption of Blu-ray changes the way they make movies.

I’m sitting in one of forty seats reserved for the CES directors panel and I’m surrounded by other press members as well as executives from Fox Home Entertainment. Around our stadium seats, a crowd gather to get a chance to hear from some of the greats.

After a quick introduction, Jeff Bucher of the L.A. Times brings out Michael Mann, Oliver Stone and Baz Luhrmann, who take their seats on director’s chairs that don’t actually seem that practical. Mann sits in his comfortable, but Stone‘s feet dangle and Baz simply leans on his. Their seating style reflects their character too, with Baz playing up the crown and Stone seeming like he’d prefer a one-on-one to a crowd.

Bucher starts off with a question for all the directors, and it’s just what you’d expect from a Blu-ray panel sponsored by Panasonic. “What does Blu-ray mean to you, and what excited you when you consider the format?

Mann takes the first crack at the question. He says that the high-definition picture of Blu-ray really helps to pay off the work that directors do on the films. “The attention to detail, the color, how dense we want a background to be with extras,” he says, are all things that come into consideration.

“It’s like having a print at home,” says Oliver Stone. “Not only is it like a print at home, but it’s actually usually better than the old print. Criterion Classics is great, but a Blu-ray compared to it – there’s just no comparison.”

Luhrmann briefly touches on how much he would enjoy having Orson Welles commentary on one of his films and then says, matter-of-factly, “Blu-ray for me, it’s better,” to a laugh from the crowd.

He says that when he made his trilogy of films, the goal was to reproduce three strip MGM Technicolor, and they were unable to do it. When the films were redone for Blu-ray, colorist Jan Yarbrough spent around 1,000 hours rebuilding a tri-color look. Baz suggests that if you want to see ‘Romeo + Juliet’ or ‘Moulin Rouge’ as he intended then “please go out and buy the newly released Blu-rays.”

We’re treated to a clip from ‘Romeo + Juliet’ that shows off the color reproduction of the Blu-ray format which has Baz half-jokingly suggesting that “I think the reds still need a minor adjustment – just one more tweak and I’ll be done!”

Introducing the next clip – the Elephant Love Medley from ‘Moulin Rouge’ – Baz explains that the movie grew from a love of musicals as a child. He set out to recreate the magic with a combination of new techniques and old techniques.”

“When you’re making a film now,” asks Bucher of Baz, “how far into it do you start thinking about the Blu-ray release.”

“That really has changed,” says Baz. “I’ve always been a DVD, and now Blu-ray, nut. I think you can have a relationship with a film and want to know more about it.” He says that the Blu-ray can dramatically improve that relationship if it’s done right.

He talks about the Blu-ray extras like behind-the-scenes footage and commentaries with a twinkle in his eye. It’s clear that not only does he love putting his movies on Blu-ray, but he loves watching all those special features on other films too.

The focus shifts to Oliver Stone as Bucher shows a few clips from both the classic ‘Wall Street’ and the new movie ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.’

The clips end to applause and Bucher moves away from the subject of Blu-ray briefly to ask Stone what it was like going back to a film for a sequel so long after its initial release. “It’s the best experience you can have. I would suggest that you don’t do any sequels for 23 years.”

“As Baz says, there’s too much light in the room, but you can really see the water, the fog in the air and the atmosphere in this movie. It’s a classic one-time experience and you don’t get that on anything else but Blu-ray.”

Bucher says that during a conversation back stage, Stone was ecstatic when talking about color reproduction.

“Every director has their thing,” says Stone, “and for me it’s color. Baz is a color freak I can tell, but I love color. I love reds and greens and [to Baz] your blues are beautiful.” He says that even in the brown and tan atmosphere of the original ‘Wall Street,’ colors reproduction is absolutely essential for communicating the mood and character of the film.

“Some people don’t like doing it, but how do you feel about director’s commentary,” asks Bucher. “Is that something that appeals to you?”

Stone says that he feels that it’s your last opportunity as a director to make the point you were trying to make with your film and to get the vision across to the audience. “I put my heart into it, I always do.

We then move on to Michael Mann, who introduces a clip from ‘Last of the Mohicans.’ He says that the real challenge in the movie was to sell the audience on the location and the authenticity of the environment, from the accuracy of the clothing to the vast expanses of land.

“It seems to me,” suggests Bucher, “that the vistas and cliffs aren’t just background, but a character.”

“It all had to do with the detail. Visually, we’re all smarter than we thing we are,” says Mann. He says that authenticity is one of the most essential parts of the film for the audience and the actors alike.

“We did everything, down to the braiding of an officer’s coat,” he says. He says that’s the kind of thing you couldn’t’ see on DVD but it finally pays off on Blu-ray.

“In this day and age, you can watch a movie on a telephone,” says Bucher. “Then there are movie theaters where the lighting isn’t right and screens that aren’t optimized. I’d imagine Blu-ray helps you keep some of that control. Do you find it satisfying to go back to a movie and put in on Blu-ray?”

“I take every opportunity to go back and fix this mistake and that mistake, I really do,” says Mann.

“Do you feel a sense of optimism about the future, or do you think it’s going to be problematic keeping up with everything and still telling a good story?” asks Bucher.

“Watching my children and friends multitask through a movie with the lights on is very depressing to people like me,” says Stone. “This is a moment in time about film preservation. This takes the old films and preserves it in a form that’s the best of the last hardware… You’ll never have access to a hard copy of these movies after Blu-ray.”

“I remember when baseball cards were on the way out and now they’re worth more today than they ever were when I was a kid,” he adds. “Keep on collecting Blu-rays, I think that’ll be an investment that pays off in 2050.”

Baz has a different attitude from Mann and Stone. “The power of the instrument is so great that I’m conscious about misusing it.” He says that some movies become amazing Blu-rays and are enhanced by the innovation. Others “are like friends that had too much plastic surgery and they come out looking completely different.”

He also says that you have to be careful when restoring works that the directors aren’t around to work on. His colorist was working on the ‘Wizard of Oz’ Blu-ray and when the higher resolution revealed details not originally present in the film, a decision had to be made about what to do with it.

The final word on film restoration, and the final word of the panel, comes from Baz. “Are we trying to recreate the film or are we trying to recreate your memory and your experience?”

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